Liquid container



May 18, 1965 A. J. HOFFMAN 3,184,091

LIQUID CONTAINER Filed July 11, 1962 INVENTOR.

A TTOR/VE Y AUGUST J. HOFFMAN United States Patent 3,184,091 LIQUID CONTAKNER August J. Hotiman, Pearl River, N.Y. Pomona Post Olfice, 112 Quaker Road, Mount Ivy, -NEE.) Filed July 11, 1962, Ser. No. 208,989 5 Claims. (Cl. 217-99) This invention relates to improved shippable containers for liquids and more particularly metal drums.

The shipping of liquids in containers presents a number of problems. It can be extremely dangerous it the liquids are corrosive, inflammable or otherwise dangerous if spilled in large quantities. As a result it has been stand ard practice to use closures which in the case of wooden barrels are tapered wooden plugs that are hammered in or in the case of metal drums are usually threaded plugs which are screwed in to fittings which are flush to the end of the drum or even slightly depressed. This has solved the problems of shipping where any projecting fitting could be knocked off but it leaves a very serious problem after the drum or barrel or other container is delivered and it is desired to remove its contents. The problem is a substantial one even when the full container is emptied at one time and it becomes much more serious if it is necessary to remove portions of the contents at intervals. In the past when a barrel or drum is to be emptied the bung is removed and a faucet is inserted or else if a drum is to be emptied at one time the drum has to be tipped on its side and it is impossible to regulate the flow particularly at the start when the container is full because an ordinary bung cannot be removed sufficiently gradually without causing leaks of liquid around.

When liquid is to be withdrawn from time to time the problem is even more severe and it is necessary to insert a faucet or other fitting. Thereafter the drum must be on its side because if it is on its end and is stacked between periods of removal of liquid the projecting fitting interferes and makes stacking impossible.

' The present invention solves the problems completely. The container, such as a drum, is provided with a mem-' ber substantially flush with the container end, solidly connected therewith and provided with a projection into the container. This projection is provided with internal threads but instead of using a threaded plug as is used in the ordinary drum or other container where the bung is threaded rather than tapered, the projecting passage is closed at its end and is provided with some peripheral opening. Now when a long threaded plug with suitable gaskets is used and is screwed tightly into the projection there is a tight fitting. This plug however is not solid as is the ordinary plug but is hollow and is provided with square or hexagonal end so that it can be screwed in with an internal wrench. The hollow plug is also provided with a shoulder registering with a depression in the projecting member of the container so that when it is screwed tight, if necessary with a suitable gasket, the end of the hollow plug is completely flush with the solid member and so presents nothing projecting beyond the end or side of the container so that in transit all the advantages of the bungs of the past are realized.

As soon as it becomes necessary to remove part or all of the liquid contents of the container the container is placed on its side, for example in the case of a drum on a suitable stand, and the hollow plug screwed out a short distance. As it is screwed out it gradually opens the peripheral openings in the projection of the member into the container and so opens very gradually a path for liquid to flow out. An exact control is possible. There is no spillage, no sudden gush of liquid. After the amount of liquid which is to be withdrawn has been taken out the hollow plug is again screwed in tight and then the container such as the drum, can be stacked or otherwise dhdfi l Patented May 18, 1%65 'ice treated exactly as if it were an ordinary container with a solid plug screwed in.

It will be seen that the containers of the present invention have all the shipping safety factors of containers which have been used before and in addition provide for a gradual opening so that a small amount of liquid can be withdrawn at any time without spillage or spattering. In other words the hollow plug of the present invention with the changed shape of the container provided with the internally projecting boss and peripheral holes performs two functions. First it is a plug or bung fitting flush with the container so that the container can be shipped without danger of knocking off projecting pieces. At the same time when it is loosened it performs the function of a faucet which formerly had to be substituted for a bung which of course permanently projected from the container and made the container unstackable between withdrawals of liquid. The container structure for the present invention with its hollow plug thus performs all of the functions of a solid plug and faucet at the same time and with the same member and without requiring the container to be tilted with the plug oil when it is to be exchanged for the faucet or other device for gradual liquid flow.

The performance of the dual functions depends on a particular container structure with a projecting internal boss and peripheral openings, but the advantages are obtained without substantial additional cost. The structure of the internal projecting boss adds only a slight amount to the cost of the container and the hollow plug used in combination with it is just as cheap as a solid plug. This is a practical advantage of the present invention because often an improved device capable of performing dual functions presents the drawback of very greatly increased cost.

All the elements of the present invention can be made of the same material as the container, preferably metal, and for many purposes this presents advantages. However, with some liquids which can be corrosive to metal problems are presented by the possibility of sticking or' corroding of the threads of the hollow sleeve plug used with the container construction of the present invention and sometimes it is preferable that threaded portions be made of a different material such as a plastic. It is an advantage of the present invention that it lends itself perfectly to the use of any machinable material so that the best combination of materials for the container can be chosen. Also it is possible if the container is to be used with different materials to use a different sleeve with one material than with the other. Great flexibility is thus obtained.

In the present invention the internally projecting boss must form a solid structure with the wall of the container such as the end of a drum. This can readily be effected by having the boss formed of the metal of the drum but of course it could be of a different material screwed into the end of the drum. Note that this is not a plug or bung as it is screwed in and usually stays solid, forming a permanent, rigid and integral part of the end of the container. It is only the hollow plug which is screwed in and out thus there is no problem of additional elements which have to be screwed and which present corrosion, leakage and other problems. Where the nature of the container is suitable it is an advantage to have the boss formed integral as this provides the maximum of tightness. However, if the boss is screwed in it can be screwed in once and for all tightly thus forming an integral part of the container wall presenting no leakage problems.

The invention will be described in greater detail in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a portion of the head of a drum with the sleeve plug screwed in;

' provided at 5.

boss 2 sticking into the container, (see FIGS. 2-4), which is closed at its end and is provided with a seating gasket 3. It is internally threaded and provided with a recessed shoulder carrying a gasket 4. Peripheral openings are These are shown as round holes but of course can be of any desired shape. A hollow sleeve 6 screws into the internal thread of the boss and is provided with a shoulder 7. When the hollow plug is screwed in tightly as is shown in FIG. 2 there is a complete seal. The bottom is sealed by the gasket 3 and the shoulder at the top by the gasket 4 so that it is not necessary to have precision threads as any possible slight leakage along the threads is stopped by the gasket 4. The end of the hollow plug is shown square which can be seen in FIG. 1 and thus can take an internal wrench.

When the container is turned on its side as is shown in FIG. 5 and the hollow plug is gradually turned out, as appears in FIGS. 3 and 4, at first there is a very slow flow as the openings 5 are gradually exposed. When it is screwed out further the holes are completely exposedand the full flow takes place. This is shown in FIG. 5. As soon as the amount of material to be withdrawn has flowed out the plug is screwed in again and once more is tight and completely flush with the end of the drum or container which can then be stacked in the ordinary manner.

It will be noted that the hollow plug is shown with internal threads which are not necessary to the operation of the present invention but permit the screwing in of spouts or other flow directing means where a drum is to be emptied. Asthese spouts or flow directing means are conventional devices they are not shown. Ordinarily the flow does not need particular direction as when it flows need not be internally threaded internal threading is so cheap that it will usually be employed in order to permit maximum flexibility.

I claim:

1. A liquid container of rigid material comprising in combination (a) a portion of an end thereof having a rigid, internally projecting boss with a cylindrical hollow internally threading, a solid wall closing the internal end, the boss being provided with openings spaced intermittently in its cylindrical side wall, the external end of the boss being at least flush with the container end, and

(b) a hollow, rigid, peripherally imperforate, open ended, externally threaded plug engaging the inner threads of the boss and when screwed in forming a seal against the closed end of the boss and the outer end of the plug when screwed in being at least flush with the outer end of the boss, whereby by unscrewing the plug the peripheral openings in the boss are gradually exposed. Y

2. A container according to claim 1 in which the con tainer is a metal drum.

3. A container according to claim 2 in which the end of the internal plug is developed with non-projecting, wrench engaging portions and the boss is provided with an outer recess engaging a shoulder on the hollow plug.

4. A container according to claim 2 in which the internal projecting boss is integral with the wall of the coninto a container with a large opening. While the plug 6 tainer.

5. A container according to claim 3 provided with gaskets at the closed end of the boss and in its shoulder receiving recess. a

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STAT ES PATENTS Hempel 251-351 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner. w 

1. A LIQUID CONTAINER OF RIGID MATERIAL COMPRISING IN COMBINATION (A) A PORTION OF AN END THEREOF HAVING A RIGID, INTERNALLY PROJECTING BOSS WITH A CYLINDRICAL HOLLOW INTERNALLY THREADING, A SOLID WALL CLOSING THE INTERNAL END, THE BOSS BEING PROVIDED WITH OPENINGS SPACED INTERMITTENTLY IN ITS CYLINDRICAL SIDE WALL, THE EXTERNAL END OF THE BOSS BEING AT LEAST FLUSH WITH THE CONTAINER END, AND (B) A HOLLOW, RIGID, PERIPHERALLY IMPERFORATE, OPEN ENDED, EXTERNALLY THREADED PLUG ENGAGING THE INNER THREADS OF THE BOSS AND WHEN SCREWED IN FORMING A SEAL AGAINST THE CLOSED END OF THE BOSS AND THE OUTER END OF THE PLUG WHEN SCREWED IN BEING AT LEAST FLUSH WITH THE OUTER END OF THE BOSS, WHEREBY BY UNSCREWING THE PLUG THE PERIPHERAL OPENINGS IN THE BOSS ARE GRADUALLY EXPOSED. 